New Delhi: After a countrywide alert was issued to trace elephant, Delhi forest department official informed that the 47-year-old pachyderm was found. The elephant, Laxmi, was traced to Yamuna Khadar area and the mahout, Saddam was arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Jasmeet Singh said.

The forest department official said, "We had launched a search operation on Tuesday to locate the elephant. Three teams comprising around 12 officials combed the areas along the banks of the Yamuna river and the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border. We requested the police to increase patrolling in the Yamuna Pusta area as we suspected the elephant was being kept somewhere there. The Shakarpur police detained the mahout and the elephant early in the morning and informed us."